What about the dirty clothes....
This may sound like a silly question ... but it calls my attention that in the blog everyone talks about how dirty their clothes gets , dust, bugs etc ... and yes, I do understand the heat , rain factor... But to make it and issue and be so concern about $$ of the cleaners.. dirty clothes must be really something. 
) and still everyone talks about being inside the Jeeps all the time. So, I would like to know do one gets off the jeeps during the game drives at all? is there any chance do any walks around, to see animals (not lions) of course ...up close ?
Please advise.
Thanks
) and still everyone talks about being inside the Jeeps all the time. So, I would like to know do one gets off the jeeps during the game drives at all? is there any chance do any walks around, to see animals (not lions) of course ...up close ?Please advise.
Thanks
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Dirty is a personal observation. For a guy (at least me), if it don't smell and doesn't have any gunk on it, it is "clean" : )
On this trip, "gunk" will likely only come from the dinner table, but even in the vehicles you can get dusty.
There are very few chances to get out of the vehicle- you will normally not be allowed out of the vehicle on a game drive unless you have an emergency need to "water the plants." Even then you will be required to do that right behind the spare tire- one reason it is sometimes called "checking the spare tire." : ) No chances for any walks to see animals with three exceptions- your group will exit the vehicles for sundowners, snacks and a bonfire one evening (there were no animals around), to make a "surprise" visit to a ranger station (NFI), and walk up Observation Hill in Amboseli (the animals will be at quite a distance and far below here).
You only exit the safari vehicles at the hotels/camps, at the airports, at Oldupai Gorge, Park/reserve entrances, Kenya border, in town(s), at the Masaii village.
If you want to walk where there are animals nearby, go early and visit Arusha National Park- a park option is a walk with guide and armed escort.
I took the optional walking tour of Arusha National park on the Tanzania Safari, it is a leisurely walk of two hours or so with a hilly trek to a waterfall towards the end. You will mainly see Buffalo and warthogs. The guide carries a gun for protection as the Buffalo can charge.
African animals are wild and dangerous. Most people in Africa are killed by hippos they can split you in half with one bite. All the cats of course are deadly but giraffes can seriously injure or kill you, also Buffalo and rhinos. Crocs can get you by the river. Hyenas have the strongest bite. And who would want to be kicked by a wayward zebra? But the most deadly of all is the humble mosquito.
Laundry is very cheap in The lodges, except I guess the Four Seasons. You don't need dress up clothes. It rarely rains during the times that most people visit K and T with Tauck so it gets dusty as the vehicles throw up dirt especially when it is a travel day and they pick up the pace. It really does not get humid on this tour so you don't really get too sweaty, so wear clothing more than once, no one cares.
We did have spa treatments on this tour in some of the lodges, but I cannot remember which ones. It's a long time since we took this first Safari with Tauck.Had a fabulous face massage at one, just a dry face massage, it was either a half hour or one hour and it was awesome. We definitely had in room massages in one place.
Well.. the exercise is not really my biggest concern.. I know is limited and do to the resorts being in National parks and the wild life it is not advisable to walk alone. and of course.. the idea of the safari is mainly to see the animals ; so I have no intentions of visiting any gym. But, if possible I would like to know if there is a chance for a massage or treatment at the spa at any time during the 2 days stays.. without having to miss the pm drives....( I'm not going to miss any chance to see amazing animals.) It's just that in the Tauck catalog it is not very clear what can be done at the resorts on our free time if any ..between game drives.. So, the only source of info. it's the fellow travelers who have already done this tour.
Thanks, nice to heard from you. Where are you going next? I'm doing Morocco in Feb. and then K&T .
You can Google each hotel for more info but I believe there is an exercise room at the Mount Kenya Safari Club, but I don't believe anywhere else, with the possible exception of the hotel in Nairobi at the end of the tour. You can often walk the limited grounds, daytime only. An (armed?) escort is strongly recommended at night at some places even just to go from the lodge to your room! I swim almost every day at home, but found the pools on tour to be very, take-your-breath-away, brisk, to say the least. At the Four Seasons, I was able to acclimate, but it took awhile and I didn't stay in long. The pool at the Mt. Kenya Safari Club was the warmest, but still cool. None are conducive to lap swimming due to shape and/or size.
The infinity pool at the Four Seasons. Here I am attempting to make my "famous" trumpeting elephant sound- it was good enough that people grabbed their cameras and came running to see the elephants which hadn't visited the watering hole (just beyond and below the pool) for several days!
Good morning...
What a funny picture, you look like a little wet chick,:)) . The pool looks divine and yes I'm not surprised that the water is icy, in India it is the same. About not having an exercise room, it's fine.... I'm okay without and yes I have google all the hotels, I normally do before booking any trip , I check facilities, Spas , entertainment , rest. and menus ahead of time...and do reservations as need it. I checked these ones.. they have personality , I love them all. One thing I didn't think about was having to be escorted around at night time... and yes it does make sense .. we are in animal territory...:) Thanks for that one...
So were you able to see the elephants at the Four S. after all?
Thanks for all your help, keep traveling!!
Have a lovely day.
Mel.
Personally, we did not look for or need any extra activities while in the Serengeti and Masai Mara. Mornings came early, there really wasn't much down time, and we were so busy that after dinner we were ready to hit the sack.
Unbelievably, not one animal visited the watering hole the two days we were at the Four Seasons- no elephants, no zebra, no impala, no baboons- nada, zippo! Also, except far in the distance where they were barely visible, we saw almost no animals looking out on the Serengeti from our hotel room patio. However, late one evening a corporate employee, there on business, was prevented from returning to her room after a small company function because a large bull elephant blocked her way. She waited for about an hour in the dark since there were no "elephant wranglers" around to convince it to move on! There was plenty to see on the game drives, however. There was a family (parents and one juvenile) of Klipspringers (similar to a Dik-dik) hanging out underneath the raised walkway just outside the door to our building. The juvenile was full of energy and having a high old time- wildly dashing and prancing about.
Nothing to see here!
Klipspringers:
nice pics of the Klipspringers. They are so cute.
Yes, you're inside the jeeps, but you can't escape the dirt! You WILL be hot and dusty. Laundry services (except at the Four Seasons) is incredibly cheap (at one hotel, I had a jacket, pair of pants and two shirts washed for a total of $3.18US!). Our Tour Director takes her shoes off and steps directly into the shower, fully clothed, to rinse everything off. I took some laundry soap, or used hotel-supplied shampoo, to wash as well. The dry air ensures a quick dry (except, maybe, socks). For shoes, I took a couple pair of old tennis shoes/trainers and alternated them for the game drive ... then left them behind in the last hotel. I also packed some older clothes and discarded them along the way (to make room for souvenirs and to avoid having to launder them). Hope this helps! Enjoy your trip -- it's fantastic!
Please feel free to share your experience and/or any tip with us.. the future Safari travelers, every little info. helps.
Did you had much problem with the infamous tsetse fly?.
Thanks.